Re: BLINDFOLDS

Stephen Rainsbury wrote:

>www.agathoid.org.uk(remove this bit)
>"Ewan Scott" <ewanscott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>news:deldrp$l4u$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>> The whole point of Scouting is to develop a sense of Honour that makes us
>> all better citizens. Just this week the medical profession announced that
>> some ridiculous number of appointments made were missed by patients, the
>> trend to miss appointments being worst amongst the young. They do it
>> because
>> they haven't the slightest concept of keeping their word. Time we got back
>> to teaching that.
>
>I agree with your sentiments but I am not sure that this is a good teaching
>medium.

I am so gobsmacked that you can say such a thing that I must be misreading
you! Isn't the whole point of Scouting, the single grand idea behind the
concept, that when kids buy into the game they are more ready to buy into
the message? And it works, it is a brilliant teaching medium! Of course,
you do actually have to have a message.


>Most of the 10-11 year olds are so convinced that winning is the most
>important thing that they won't stop to think about the "cheating". As far
>as they are concerned they are winners and as we all know winner are
>winners.

Of course the kids want to win. We either give up and accept that the
pressure of the street is stronger, or we push the message that winning is
good, but winning by cheating is not winning, it's cheating and bad. That
is a clear concept, and it's easy to get over because it's what the kids
instinctively know - they know that cheating is bad, they just want a
leader/role model/friend to confirm it.

Getting back to the beginning of the thread, in games and activities that
need a blindfold we use neckers. I wouldn't dream of using anything else.
The necker is enough to be a reminder that they shouldn't be looking, and
the fact that it is not perfect is an opportunity to push the message. I
have kids stopping during the activity to tell me that they can see, which
gives me the opportunity to say "Just keep your eyes closed then. I trust
you."

--
John Russell
CSL 1st Pinhoe Exeter Devon
http://www.pinhoescouts.org.uk/cubs/
Cubs don't care how much you know, but they need to know how much you care.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: BLINDFOLDS
    ... > Of course the kids want to win. ... > good, but winning by cheating is not winning, it's cheating and bad. ... > the fact that it is not perfect is an opportunity to push the message. ...
    (uk.rec.scouting)
  • Re: Paper on SOTG and Innovation in Officiating
    ... If winning wasn't everything, we would have more ... kids in sports. ... stop seeing it as a sport and start to see it as a war. ... come play a sport where sportsmanship ...
    (rec.sport.disc)
  • Re: Another Little League first for my daughter
    ... lifelong love of a game, practicing to get yourself better, etc. ... Face it...most kids aren't on great teams. ... it is a lot harder to be on a losing team than a winning team. ...
    (rec.sport.football.college)
  • Re: Some days, I love my job
    ... readily admit they see absolutely nothing wrong with cheating. ... but Scout kids are about 4th in pecking order for kids who act ... The biggest pothead in my high school was an Eagle Scout. ...
    (rec.sport.football.college)
  • Re: November 2006 Bridge World Editorial
    ... people of all generaions that the Blue team was winning because they ... were cheating. ...
    (rec.games.bridge)